Dorcol Dunavski Kej : the other Danube waterfront in Belgrade

When it comes to the Danube and Belgrade, many people think about Zemun. Pretty logical actually, as it is one of the most picturesque spots of Belgrade. However, there’s a second spot, almost unknown, Dorcol Danube Quay, Dorcol Dunavski Kej in Serbian. I decided to visit it, slightly before a heavy storm.

Why is Dorcol Danube Quay that little known? Well, to be honest, the surroundings are definitely not the most picturesque. Even though it has Dorcol in its name, the place is actually located in the Lower part, Donji Dorcol. While the upper district has been pretty bourgeois for a few decades now, the lower part mainly consists of industrial wasteland and undermaintained Socialist buildings.

Donji Dorcol, a few meters from the Quay. The railway line, despite the appearance, still works

When I say it this way, I know this doesn’t sound very sexy. But it’s actually not that unpleasant. Dorcol Dunavski Kej is close to the center, but not yet completely contaminated by gentrification and unreasonable luxury estate construction, like the Belgrade Waterfront on the Sava Bank. Things may change. Some trendy bars and club are trying to settle down in the area to pretend they’re like in Berlin (yeah, it seems that serving overpaid drinks in some former factory makes you like the German capital city, as the Balkanist likes to mock…).

Pancevacki most, Pancevo bridge, the infamous bridge built crossing the Danube to Pancevo and Romania

Therefore, it’s still a place to discover before luxury investors finally take over this area to destroy its quintessence. Let’s enjoy this place before they start building these shiny skyscrapers some people here will praise. The fact that 99% of the population won’t have the money to afford it is, of course, another issue..

But let’s go back to the place, and enjoy this typical Danube light, as a storm is approaching.

The Milan Gale Muskatirovic Sports Center, hosting various sport facilities, including a swimming pool, one of the symbols of the Quay, with its typical architecture